Not recognized, endorsed by, or affiliated with the NFL or
Chicago Bears.

This page is more or less a "FAQ" on the most frequently
asked questions I receive on the Bears. Or it's a compilation of all the little
bits that don't require a full story. Hope it's helpful.

The Chicago Bears were a founding member of the American
Professional Football Association in 1920, which would later become the
National Football League. For a more complete story about how this transpired,
visit Chicago Bears Lore.

The Bears adopted the colors Navy Blue and
Burnt Orange in tribute to their founder George Halas' alma mater, the
University of Illinois. For more on the history of the Bears' uniforms, see
Bears Uniform History.

The Chicago Bears Fight song, "Bear Down,
Chicago Bears" was written by Al Hoffman in 1941. The words are:

Bear Down, Chicago Bears
Let every play clear the way to victory
Bear Down, Chicago Bears
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation
With your T-formation
Bear Down, Chicago Bears,
and let them know why you're wearing the crown
You're the pride and joy of Illinois
Chicago Bears, Bear Down

The song is still played after every Bears score at their
home games.

Speaking of home games, here's a little
information on the Bears home game experience for those who have never had the
chance to attend. Tailgating at Soldier Field is tough, although we seem to
manage. The lots around Soldier Field are for holders of parking passes only.
Fans such as my group have to work dilligently, and arrive early, to find the
proper spot to enjoy pregame festivities. Upon my first visit to Minnesota, I
enjoyed the great pregame "fairway" they have set up around the stadium, and
wished the Bears would do something similar. The team has stated they will do
so with the new stadium, and tailgating will be much different, for better or
for worse. We shall see. Update 2005-there is no official pregame party
around the stadium, and the city has cracked down on drinking around the new
stadium before games.

Introductions of the teams begins
approximately 14 minutes before gametime. The opposing team is announced
without music before the Bears enter through a giant Bear head in the Northwest
corner of the stadium.

An enduring sound you'll hear at Bears
games is Stadium Announcer Jim Riebandt, who has been calling the down,
distance, and NFL scores since 1982. Anyone that has attended a Bears game
cannot forget his announcement when there is a "Timeout............ON the
field." Jim started doing this to let the band know they should start playing,
and now it is a classic part of the gameday experience. I've heard others tell
me that this is the same announcer from Fenway Park in Boston, but as far as I
know, that's not true.

One last gripe about the gameday experience.
Bear fans original and most enduring chant is "Let's Go Bears!" when the team
is driving or the defense needs encouragement. Through the 1980's, the
scoreboard used to urge the crowd on by displaying the words. At some point,
this practice stopped and although us old-time fans still carry on, electricity
for the team could be greatly improved if the organization implemented another
way to urge the crowd on. It is done legally in Minnesota with the Viking horn
and in Green Bay with the lame "Go Pack Go" guitar, so if the team would
realize this they should be able to do it. Update 2005-the crowd is
now urged on with "Let's Go Bears" on the scoreboard. Good decision.

Word to the wise-arrive early and stay late at Bears games,
because the location of the stadium makes for a traffic mess.

The Chicago Bears won NFL championships in
the following years:

1921
1932
1933
1940
1941
1943
1946
1963
1985

They played in league championship games but
lost the following years:

1934
1937
1942
1956

And in NFC Championship Games but lost in:

1984
1988

Some notable players that were drafted by the Bears
but never starred with them are:

The Bears played in Wrigley Field from 1921
to 1970, and in "old" Soldier Field from 1971-2001. They played the 2002 season
and 2003 preseason in Champaign, IL, and in 2003 opened the completely rebuilt
Soldier Field on September 29. The team also hosted several contests at
Northwestern University's Dyche Stadium and Notre Dame University in South
Bend, IN.

Soldier Field was originally a "horseshoe"
when the team played there from 1971-1979. In 1980, an agreement was reached
with the Chicago Park District to build additional seats in the North end zone
to create a "bowl". This work, replacing bench seating with individual plastic
seats, and the installation of Skyboxes was completed in 1982.

A grass playing surface was installed at
Soldier Field in 1988. Numerous problems were experienced with the surface
after it was installed, and in 1994 after various special events caused damage.
The new Soldier Field will also feature grass, and not the new "Field Turf"
which is the latest trend in the NFL.

The Chicago Bears have the most players in the Pro
Football Hall of Fame, and are second to the New York Yankees in
all of professional sports in number of jersey numbers retired. For a list of
these players, please see the Bears Lore index page.

The endzones and midfield area were not painted
at Soldier Field until the 1982 season. During that year, the field sported
"Chicago" in the end zone for the first time, and a large "C" Bears logo was
painted at midfield for the '83 campaign. These markings remained unchanged
until midway through the 1996 season. At that point, the midfield "C" changed
to a blue Bears head, and the endzones were painted with "Bears" in cursive.
These markings remained until the 1999 opener, at which point they were changed
back to the classic "Chicago" and the "C". I was very excited to see the
original art return. The new Soldier Field again uses newer art in the
endzone.

Special markings were painted on the field to commemorate
Walter Payton's passing in 1999, and in 2001 for the "Salute to Soldier
Field." The new Soldier Field logo was painted on the field for the
2003 opener.

Most long-time attendees of Bears games probably remember
The Honey Bears, Rocky, and the Bear Mascot. I don't
remember much about the Bears mascot at Solider Field from 1979 on, but it
was George Motyka that wore the suit until the Bears refused to take him with
on the trip to San Francisco for the NFC Championship game in 1984.
This Bear was an enduring sight at Wrigley Field for years. More known to me as
the Bears' original mascot was "Rocky", whose actual name I do not know off the
top of my head. "Rocky" was a guy in his mid-50's that had season tickets on
the east sideline at Soldier Field, and was a steadfast icon throughout the
stadium through the 1980's. "Rocky" wore a "1" Bears jersey, carried a
megaphone, and started chants all over Soldier Field. As a kid, I also remember
meeting him at several post-game tailgate parties. He can even be seen starting
a chant at the 1985 NFC Championship game in the teams' highlight film from
that year. I have a publicity picture of Rocky somewhere in my archives that I
will post here in the future.

And last but not least, who could forget the Honey Bears.
The Chicago Bears' official cheerleaders were hired by the club by Jim Finks in
1977, and made their last sideline appearance at Solider Field in the 1985 NFC
Championship. The cheerleaders performed throughout the game and during
halftime in every type of weather, and also cheered the players on as they
entered the field. The last mention I have seen in the media about the Honey
Bears appeared in 1998 in a column by the Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell.

Mitchell's column indicated that the group's choreographer
and founder, Cathy Core, was making a push for a comeback. (Core also is
choreographer of the Luvabulls, the Chicago Bulls' cheerleaders.) Core
successfully instituted a junior cheerleader program at Soldier Field for the
1999-2001 seasons, but so far, nothing has been said about a return of the
Honey Bears. Former Bears marketing director Ken Valdiserri said in this
article that "bringing back the Honey Bears in the form that they were is maybe
something we would consider if and when a new stadium comes to fruition." Now
we have a new stadium on the way, but no mention of this classic component of
the Bears' gameday experience.